Prospect Talent Score

Probability of Success

History

2010-11: Troy Vance started the year with Philadelphia Revolution of the EJHL until he took the advice of a Dallas scout to move to the QMJHL Victoriaville Tigres to play against better competition and get more exposure. Vance played in just 23 games with the Victoriaville Tigers. He did manage 1 goal and 3 assists in his stint. He also tacked on 21 PIMs, and finished with a +8 rating. In his 9 game playoff stint he matched his season output offensively, scoring 1 goal and 3 assists.

2011-12: Vance skated in 57 of 68 games for the high-scoring Victoriaville Tigres in his first full QMJHL season. He scored 4 goals with 20 assists and was plus-17 with 45 penalty minutes. The Tigres scored a league-high 311 goals and had the QMJHL’s third-best record (three points behind Memorial Cup champion Shawinigan in the East Division) but were swept by Baie-Comeau in the first round of the playoffs. Vance had 2 assists and was -2 with 4 penalty minutes in the four game series. He signed a three-year entry-level contract with Dallas in July, 2012.

2012-13: Vance returned to Victoriaville for his third season and skated in 39 games before a mid-season trade to the Prince Edward Island Rocket. In 67 games between the two teams he scored 4 goals with 22 assists and was +12 with 57 penalty minutes. The Rocket finished third in the Maritimes division and faced Val d’Or in a first round series. Vance had 2 assists and was +1 with 2 penalty minutes in six playoff games.

2013-14: Vance made his pro hockey debut in April — joining the ECHL’s Elmira Jackals following an overage season with the re-located Charlotte Islanders. In four ECHL games he scored 1 goal with 1 assist and was an even plus/minus with 2 penalty minutes. Playing his first full season with the Islanders (formerly the P.E.I. Rockets) he scored 8 goals with 21 assists (both career highs) in 59 games and was -7 with 48 penalty minutes. Charlottetown finished fifth in the Maritimes Division and was swept by first-place Halifax in the first round. Vance scored 1 goal with 2 penalty minutes and was -7 with 2 penalty minutes in four playoff games.

2014-15: Vance skated for the Dallas entry in the 2014 Traverse City prospect tournament and attended training camp with the Stars before being assigned to the ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads. He was briefly loaned to the expansion Missouri Mavericks in his first pro season. In 61 ECHL games between the two teams he scored 3 goals with 8 assists and was +2 with 26 penalty minutes.

Talent Analysis

Vance is a towering stay-at-home defender whose big stride and long reach makes him an effective shutdown player. He is able to move the puck safely out of the zone and has the confidence to carry it if the opportunity arises. Vance continues to be a work in progress at this point and must improve in all areas of his game to have a shot at one day reaching the NHL level.

Future

Vance was loaned to Assat Pori in Finland's Liiga for the 2015-16 season and has enjoyed a resurgence in his game. Playing in all situations and averaging almost 22 minutes of ice time per game, he displayed an offensive side to go along with his size and physical play. Drafted by the previous personnel staff in Dallas based on his size and raw ability, Vance has one year left on his original entry-level deal but is low on the depth chart in the Stars' organization. His play in Finland may have opened some eyes.

Photo: Dallas Stars defenseman Jamie Oleksiak split his time between the NHL and AHL in 2015-16, appearing in just 19 games for Dallas and eight games for the Texas Stars (courtesy of Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Dallas Stars went to St. Paul, Minnesota looking at physical tools and going after players with size in the 2011 NHL Draft.

Photo: the Michigan Wolverines will have to score and defend with a team mentality next season, and Dallas Stars prospect Joseph Cecconi will be an important part of the blueline (courtesy of Dave Reginek/Getty Images)

With the playoffs underway, the Dallas Stars have proven adept at acquiring top-shelf NHL talent under General Manager Jim Nill, who has now been at the helm for three years. Other avenues of procurement have yet to pay such immediate dividends, but the Stars have some good players in every major league – including college hockey and the European leagues. Although some of the players are off the radar for the casual fan – and perhaps even management – others put together some encouraging work in the 2015-16 season.

Photo: JyP Jyvaskyla defenseman and Winnipeg Jets prospect Sami Niku (R) is one of a trio of defensive NHL prospects that competed for Finland in their gold medal run at the 2016 IIHF World Junior Championship (courtesy of MARKKU ULANDER/AFP/Getty Images)

The 2015 NHL Draft saw six defensemen from Finland selected for only the second time since the draft was reduced to seven rounds in 2004. Though none of those players were selected in the top two rounds — as current Pittsburgh PenguinOlli Maatta was in the 2012 draft class that was previously the largest — the 2015 draft class has increased the number of NHL-drafted defensemen playing in Liiga. This has helped to expand this list to a top 10 after listing just five players last year. Read more»

Photo: Karpat Oulu forward and Carolina Hurricanes prospect Sebastian Aho and his Karpat teammates will be going for their third consecutive Kanada Cup championship (courtesy of Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)

With the addition of former Mestis club KooKoo, Finland’s Liiga in 2015-16 will feature 15 teams for the first time in league history. But, while the Kouvola-based squad should enjoy an intense rivalry with neighboring SaiPa Lappeenranta in southeastern Finland, things aren’t likely to change at the top of the league standings. Read more»

Photo: Jack Campbell has not yet lived up to his billing as a top goaltending prospect (courtesy of Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire)

It has been a trying year for many in the Stars’ minor league affiliates. In the AHL the high amount of roster turnover and personnel changes has left Texas a lesser group than the Calder Cup champions of a year ago. Derek Laxdal is struggling to get ideal hockey out of this group and the frustration has been evident at times. Many prospects have not taken major steps forward in the first half of the season, but as adaptation occurs, the potential still exists for this talented group to emerge.